Gaizka Toquero
 Toquero in action for Athletic Bilbao in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gaizka Toquero Pinedo | ||
| Date of birth | 9 August 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Vitoria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Ariznabarra | ||
| 2002–2003 | Real Sociedad | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2005 | Alavés C | ||
| 2005–2006 | Alavés B | 29 | (2) |
| 2006–2007 | Lemona | 33 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Sestao | 37 | (5) |
| 2008– | Athletic Bilbao | 156 | (20) |
| 2008 | → Eibar (loan) | 16 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 2010– | Basque Country | 4 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 March 2015. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Gaizka Toquero Pinedo (born 9 August 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao mainly as a forward.
Club career
Toquero was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava. After a brief youth spell at Real Sociedad, and some years with both reserve teams of Deportivo Alavés, he started playing professionally for SD Lemona in the 2006–07 season, later joining Basque neighbours Sestao River Club (both clubs were in the third division).
While playing for Sestao, Athletic Bilbao showed interested in acquiring Toquero, whom eventually signed him in 2008.[1] After not fitting coach Joaquín Caparrós' plans to play for the Rojiblancos he was loaned to another Basque club, SD Eibar, greatly due to new manager Carlos Pouso, who had coached the player before.[2]
After 15 matches in 2008–09's second level, Toquero was re-called by Athletic on 4 January 2009, making his La Liga debut six days later, appearing as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 home draw against RCD Espanyol.[3] He scored his first goal for the club on 4 March 2009, in a 3–0 Copa del Rey home win against Sevilla FC (4–2 on aggregate)[4] which qualified Athletic to the final: there, he opened the score, albeit in a 1–4 loss to FC Barcelona.[5]
In 2009–10 Toquero, blessed with few technical skills but a tremendous hard-worker, blossomed into a first division player.[6] He started most of the campaign as an offensive complement to Fernando Llorente, and also found the net on several occasions, notably a double against Real Valladolid on 7 March 2010 in a 2–0 home success.[7]
Toquero once again was a regular starter for Athletic during the 2010–11 season. On 30 January 2011 he opened his official goal account, netting twice in a 2–0 away win against Atlético Madrid;[8] in October of the following year he renewed his contract, due to expire in June 2013, for three more years.[9]
Honours
- UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2011–12
- Copa del Rey: Runner-up 2008–09, 2011–12
- Supercopa de España: Runner-up 2009
References
- ↑ El Athletic ficha al delantero Gaizka Toquero (Athletic signs forward Gaizka Toquero); El Correo, 21 May 2008 (Spanish)
- ↑ Toquero: "No había pensado ni en debutar en Primera" (Toquero: "I had never even thought about making debuts in Primera"); Las Provincias, 5 February 2012 (Spanish)
- ↑ Iraola adelanta los Reyes (Iraola bring Reyes sooner); Marca, 4 January 2009 (Spanish)
- ↑ Athletic-Sevilla: Desmelene vasco hacia la final (3–0) (Athletic-Sevilla: Basque go crazy en route to final (3–0)); Diario de Sevilla, 5 March 2009 (Spanish)
- ↑ Athletic Bilbao 1–4 Barcelona; ESPN Star Sports, 14 May 2009
- ↑ Sacrificio, entrega y valía, el secreto del éxito de Toquero (Sacrifice, hard work and value, Toquero's secret for success); El Desmarque, 20 February 2012 (Spanish)
- ↑ Toquero double sinks Valladolid; ESPN Soccernet, 7 March 2010
- ↑ Toquero at the double for Athletic; ESPN Soccernet, 30 January 2011
- ↑ Gaizka Toquero renueva su contrato con el Athletic hasta 2016 (Gaizka Toquero renews contract with Athletic until 2016); El Mundo Deportivo, 11 October 2012 (Spanish)
External links
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